出乎意料 (chū hū yì liào) — unexpected, beyond expectation, against expectation

Definition

An idiom for something that happens ‘against expectation’ — used to flag a surprising turn, like an adjective or adverb (‘surprisingly…’). Read as a set phrase, not verb + object.

verb
unexpectedbeyond expectationagainst expectation

Examples

  • 出乎意料
    Zhè ge jié guǒ zhēn lìng wǒ chū hū yì liào.
    This result really caught me by surprise.
  • 出乎意料
    chū hū yì liào De shì, tā jū rán méi chí dào.
    Unexpectedly, he actually wasn't late.
  • 出乎意料
    Shì qing de fā zhǎn wán quán chū hū yì liào.
    The development of events was completely unexpected.

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